Reggiane Re.2005 Sagittario

Special Hobby, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by John Miller

Airfix's 1/72 scale Sea King is available online from Squadron.com

The Reggiane Re.2005 Sagittario (English: Archer) was an Italian monoplane fighter/fighter-bomber produced for the Regia Aeronautica during the later years of World War II. Along with the Macchi C.202/C.205 and Fiat G.55, the Reggiane Re.2005 was one of the three Serie 5 Italian fighters.

The lines of the fuselage were aerodynamically efficient, and the design was intended to exploit the famous Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. The only drawback was a structural weakness in the rear section of the fuselage.

Only 48 examples were delivered before the Armistice, and these took part in the defense of Naples, Rome, and Sicily, with the survivors battling above the crumbling ruins of Berlin, in German insignia.

British ace and military observer, Group Captain Duncan Smith, DSO DFC, said, "The Re.2005 was altogether a superb, potent aeroplane."

(Edited from Wikipedia)

Let me say up front that Special Hobby has been my favorite kit manufacturer for many (many) years. There are more Special Hobby kits (built and un-built) in my collection than any other manufacturer. That said I’ve endeavored to be as unbiased as possible for this review but man this is a nice kit.

In the lidded box we’ve come to expect from Special Hobby are four sprues of grey styrene, one small clear sprue, and one decal sheet with markings for four airframes. No photo-etch is included.

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Thumbnail panels:

Although this is a “limited-run” kit the surface details and inscribed panel lines are as good as those found on some big production (Tamigawa) kits. In addition, there’s a bit of flash on some of the larger parts and extra time will have to be spent cleaning and refreshing smaller components; nothing a little patience and a new X-Acto blade won’t take care of.

Parts layout and engineering are conventional and with the pretty low parts count I suspect this will be a straightforward build. As usual, assembly begins with the cockpit, and there is ample detail here right out of the box.

Of note are the nicely detailed cockpit side panels that will look great under paint and a wash.

Instrument panel detail is provided by a decal however; the nicely molded panel would be a great starting point for some super-detailing.

The completed cockpit and nicely detailed tail wheel assembly are then captured between the fuselage halves. The horizontal stabilizer-elevator assembly is a single piece facilitating construction but negating the option of posing the elevators without first cutting them off: bummer. With the addition of the nicely molded propeller, engine exhausts, and turbocharger air intake, the fuselage is largely complete.

Next up are the wheel wells and here the folks at Special Hobby did an awesome job providing a lot of detail in an area that will be very visible. Note that the wells are rather large and with the main gear retracting into the outer wing sections, much of the wells will be seen when the model is built. This is true especially from the front, as is the case with most tail draggers. The addition of some brake lines and assorted plumbing would make the wheel wells a notable point of the completed model.

With the wheel well assemblies installed and the completed wing offered up to the fuselage, the airframe is complete sans the canopy.

Although the canopy is nicely molded of crystal-clear plastic with scale-appropriate framing, the front windscreen and hinged canopy are one piece precluding posing the canopy open without major surgery first. This is a bit of a let down as the very nicely detailed cockpit is screaming to be seen.    

Markings:

The decals, by Special Hobby, are crisply printed with good color density and registration.

Markings for two three Italian and one German airframe are provided as follows:

• Re2005 Sagittario, MM.0923xx, 362-8, 362a Squadriglia, 220 Gruppo, 420 Stormo Intercettori, Littoria, June 1943.

• Re2005 Sagittario, MM.092351, 362-2, 362a Squadriglia, 220 Gruppo, 420 Stormo Intercettori, Capua, Summer 1943. 

• Re2005 Sagittario, MM.092352, Red 4, Reparto Aero Collegamenti, Aeronautica Nazionale Republicana, Milan-Bresso, March 1944.   

• Re2005 Sagittario, MM.096109, Lonate Pozzolo, October 1943.

This is yet another beautiful kit from Special Hobby of an under-represented yet historically significant aircraft. It may take a bit more time to clean some occasional flash but the result will be a beautifully detailed model that’s seldom seen at the model shows. Well done Special Hobby: Highly Recommended! 

For more on this review visit Modelpaintsolutions.com.

Review kit provided by my retirement fund.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2020 by John Miller
Page Created 17 April, 2020
Last updated 17 April, 2020

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